The invention relates to an artificial breast according to the preamble of claim 1.
Such a breast prosthesis is known from EP-A-0 125 400. In this artificial breast, the rear side of the pad or cushion body is planar and flush throughout with the plane rear edge face of the prosthestic body surrounding the depression or hollow of the prosthetic body. Consequently, the rear side of the fabric pocket surrounding the prosthetic body and the cushion body bears throughout on the rear side of the cushion body and the rear end face of the prosthetic body.
With such a prosthesis, at the remaining breast tissue on which it bears with its rear side skin irritations may arise which are due to the prosthesis preventing ventilation of the remaining breast tissue and the cushion body pressing with its entire rear area on the remaining breast tissue, this application pressure being the more unpleasant and irritating for the wearer the greater the amount of projecting breast tissue which has been left.
The problem underlying the invention is to further develop the artificial breast according to the preamble such that the rear side of the prosthesis bears more gently on the body of the prosthesis wearer, air is allowed to reach the remaining breast tissue and the adaptability of the rear side of the artificial breast to projecting remaining tissue is increased, the mobility and elasticity of the overall prosthesis being retained.
This problem is solved according to the invention with the features of the characterizing clause of the claim.
The artificial breast according to the invention has the advantage that the engagement area of the cushion body on the body of the prosthesis wearer is considerably reduced, that the rear side of the prosthesis can adapt itself to projecting unremoved breast tissue without pressure concentrations and that the prosthesis due to the resilient supporting on the body has an improved oscillation behaviour which makes it resemble still more a natural breast. Furthermore, the artificial breast according to the invention has the advantage that the unremoved breast tissue is regularly ventilated, and air exchange at the rear side of the prosthesis being promoted not only by the greatly reduced engagement area of the cushion body but also by the pump effect of the elastic rear side of the fabric envelope occurring under dynamic load. However, such an elastic textile fabric at the rear side of the fabric sheath or envelope is known in practice.
An example of the embodiment is illustrated in the attached drawing and will be described in detail hereinafter.